Tablet cassette of automatic tablet packing apparatus

Abstract

The tablet cassette includes a division block installed to be rotated by a drive motor to discharge tablets introduced from above through transfer passages indented in an outer circumferential surface thereof. Each of the transfer passage includes a separation recess for downward transfer of the tablets, a lower end of which is blocked by a prop, and a supply recess along which the tablets having passed through the separation recess are moved on the outer circumferential surface of the division block to thereby be discharged downward via rotation of the division block. The tablet cassette further includes a bottom ring provided around a lower end of the division block to transfer the tablets located in the separation recess into the supply recess via rotation of the division block.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]1. Field of the Invention[0002]The present invention relates to a tablet cassette of an automatic tablet packing apparatus, and more particularly, to a tablet cassette of an automatic tablet packing apparatus, which is designed to discharge tablets stored in the tablet cassette one by one according to a medical prescription.[0003]2. Description of the Related Art[0004]FIG. 14 illustrates a conventional automatic tablet packing apparatus. In the shown conventional automatic tablet packing apparatus 300, a plurality of tablet cassettes 310 in which tablets are stored is mounted respectively on cassette pedestals 320 attached to shelves of the automatic tablet packing apparatus 300. If a medical prescription is input to a controller of the automatic tablet packing apparatus 300, the controller sends a signal to a motor drive unit that is mounted in the corresponding cassette pedestal 320 on which the tablet cassette 310 receiving desired tablets corresp...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0009]Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and it is an object of the present invention to prevent breakage of and damage to tablets as much as possible in the process of discharging the tablets according to a medical prescription.

[0010]It is another object of the present invention to prevent sudden stoppage of a motor due to tablets becoming lodged between an inner surface of a tablet cassette and a division block during discharge of the tablets.

[0011]It is a further object of the present invention to smoothly supply tablets in succession by allowing the tablets to be aligned in an upright posture prior to passing through an outer circumferential surface of a division block.

[0015]To prevent the tablet from being unintentionally transferred from the separation recess to the supply recess, the prop may include a protuberance to prevent the tablet supported on the prop from being unintentionally transferred into the supply recess.

Problems solved by technology

The above described conventional tablet cassette has no configuration to solve the lodging of the tablets and therefore, has difficulty smoothly separating and discharging the tablets.

Further, since the division block tends to be continuously rotated even in the lodged state of the tablets, the lodged tablets become tightly engaged between the division block and an inner surface of the tablet cassette by a rotational force of the division block, resulting in breakage of the tablets.

Furthermore, when particulates of the broken tablets remain on the division block or the inner surface of the tablet cassette, there is a problem in that the particulates are adhered to and mixed with different kinds of medicine.

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